While in Thailand, I took a trip up north to Chiang Rai to see a temple that has a lot of controversy surrounding it. Wat Rong Khun, also known as The White Temple, is still under construction and when completed, will have 9 buildings total (as of now there is only 1 completed).

The controversy that surrounds this temple is that:

1. The temple was a donation from a rich Thai businessman but Chalermchai Kositpipat was the artist who built it. He changed the original plans and added his own thoughts on how the temple should look.

2. Unlike any wat or temple you will find in Thailand, this one had a unique theme running through it. The pit with all the hands is a representation of hell. The murals inside the temple are very modern and contemporary, which shows things like McDonald’s, satellites, and human sperm. The message is what people in life are consumed by, and what they need to do to let go of this consummation and be happy.